As Samaraii posted on Bikya Masr only weeks ago: Boycotting is the new black. People around the world are calling on a boycott of Israeli exports and products and divestment from the Israeli economy, a movement that certainly has its pros and cons, but which I would generally support. Money talks, and putting serious economic pressure on Israel with an international boycott, in principal, may succeed where other initiatives to end an ever more bitter and protracted conflict have failed. On Monday, however, reports emerged of a new boycott of Israel here in Egypt. Apparently, the board of Al-Ahram Media Group has announced that it will begin its own boycott, by refusing to interview Israelis, by refusing to hold conferences or events with Israeli groups, by refusing to carry out research and investigations with Israelis and by refusing entry to their offices to any Israeli citizen. The official reasoning is thus: “Al-Ahram is a beacon of civilization in Egypt and the Arab world, it respects people regardless of their religion or creed, and it respects discussion and debate. The Israeli people, however, have aligned themselves against human values, by electing a government of extremists who reject peace and support terrorism, destruction and death.†(Managing Editor of Al-Ahram, Osama Geith, to Al-Sharq al-Awsat 29/06/2009) The question that springs to mind when reading the statement is “Why now?†Has Israel been any more destructive and murderous of late than at any point over the last however many years? A more likely cause of the improbably sudden decision is surely the controversial reception of the Israeli Ambassador at the Al-Ahram offices by Al-Ahram Democracy magazine editor, Dr. Hala Mustafa, during Ramadan. Not so coincidentally, it was decided at the same meeting as the vote on the boycott, that she would face a disciplinary investigation into the incident, which drew wide spread criticism in Egypt and abroad. Al-Ahram has not suddenly decided Israel is unacceptable and it is trying to score some publicity points after Mustafa’s PR damaging iftar a few weeks ago. Whatever the reasoning, for a media organization to boycott a nation is bizarre. Not only does it mean that Al-Ahram are spiting themselves by losing vital credibility on an issue that many Egyptians feel very strongly about – how can you accurately report what happens in Israel and Palestine without so much as interviewing the locals? – but it also delegitimizes Al-Ahram’s frequent criticism of Israel: Surely speaking to Israelis and allowing the likes of Lieberman and Netanyahu and others who share their views to dig their own hole with their frequently racist and fascist rhetoric is the most valuable weapon the international media has against the Israeli PR machine. An Al-Ahram boycott of Israel will not cause Egypt’s northern neighbour any harm whatsoever, and will only serve to irresponsibly promote public ignorance on crucial domestic and regional issues. BM
